


Ebe, Firstborn of Egypt

by Elizabeth A Nield (KayleeArafinwiel)



Category: Christian Bible (Old Testament)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2017-11-23 16:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/623978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleeArafinwiel/pseuds/Elizabeth%20A%20Nield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rameses, Pharaoh of Egypt, is having a very bad day. And as he comes home from a meeting with his long-lost foster-brother Re-mose, it's about to get worse. Ebe, his little daughter, the light of his life, is watching...and the horrors that plague her family won't be letting her alone. Uncle Re-mose is sure of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> This is, I suppose, AU. I'm not sure if there's a consensus on the name of the Pharaoh during the time of the Ten Plagues of Exodus. I have called him Rameses, and his Queen Helima. I have supposed that Rameses may have concubines besides his wife, which I don't think is off the wall, but they aren't important to the story except as the mothers of his sons. Helima has given him one child, Ebe, who at the time this story takes place is six, going on seven. All her half-siblings are younger.
> 
> I mean no disrespect to the Bible or any religion. I am a Christian. It just struck me as rather terrible that all the firstborn children in Egypt were killed by the Tenth Plague, even down to the Pharaoh's child, and then I thought...well, what would he or she have thought about the plagues? So...yeah, here it is...

“Baba?" Ebe ran to the door. "Ebe, my darling," Helima called gently, and Ebe ran back to her mother as her father came inside. Rameses entered shortly after, swinging his little daughter up into his arms. "Ebe, my darling girl." He rocked her, smiling, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

Helima was worried. "Husband?" she asked, giving him her obeisance even as she dared to speak to him, and he turned his gaze to her. "Run along, Ebe, and let your nurse bathe you," he said distantly.

"Yes, Baba. Will you tell me a story? Did Uncle come visit? Will he come visit again?"

"Your bath, Ebe," Rameses said again, sending her off with a gentle smack to her bottom. Ebe sighed, but obeyed.  
"My lord..." Helima said tentatively.

Rameses shook his head. "We must both go to Ebe to-night."

"I am surprised you favour her so, lord," Helima said. True, she was Rameses' queen, but his concubines had provided him with sons. Ebe had seen six winters already, while Rameses' sons ranged from nearly Ebe's age to babes clothed only in their own skins, but Ebe, his firstborn, was his favourite daughter. His queen's only child. She kept waiting for the day when Rameses would send her away and raise one of his concubines to her position, but he never did. Of course, she was his sister, too.

"She is ours," Rameses said quietly. "We must cherish her while we can."

Helima nodded. Of course, Rameses knew that their daughter would grow up and marry. More than likely she would be wedded to one of her half-brothers. But somehow, that did not seem to be what her beloved and brother meant. "My lord?" she probed carefully.

"Re-mose has come to speak with me."

That threw Helima. Re-mose! Of course she knew of Re-mose - he had been their own foster-brother, older than they. The last queen had taken him from the river herself, a foundling babe given by the gods. But he had killed a man - for beating a slave! As though Re-mose should worry about that - and then run away. Now, after years, he had come back?

"What did Re-mose want, if I may make so bold?" Helima asked cautiously.

"His god wishes us to let our slaves go." Rameses smiled thinly, bitterly. _His_  god wished that. Not theirs. Re-mose had chosen the slaves' side.

"But that is foolishness," Helima said what Rameses was doubtless thinking. "The gods have ordained us to rule over the slaves in this land."

"His god is supposedly more powerful than ours. Re-mose says that if we do not do as his god says, terrible things will plague our land."

Helima felt a shiver run down her spine. Now she wanted nothing more than to run to Ebe, to protect her. As she thought that, Ebe ran to her, screaming, dripping in blood. Helima nearly fainted.

"What is this, Ebe?" Rameses demanded. He was stronger than Helima, as a man should be, and picked Ebe up, wrapping her in his robe. He did not seem to care that it was soaked with blood. "Is this blood yours?"

"N-no...Baba, Baba, I was in the bath, and suddenly t-the water was not there any more! It went like this!" Ebe wailed, and Rameses swaddled her more tightly, holding her to his chest. He strode to the window, and looked out at the Nile, seeking its clear blue-green waters.

The Nile flowed red.

His people were crying out. Fear and pain reached Rameses, and his own blood chilled in his veins.

It had begun.


	2. The Nile Under Siege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Re-mose relentlessly pursues the cause of a god Rameses doesn't believe in. Meanwhile, Ebe, worried for her own gods, begins to get caught in the crossfire between her parents, Re-mose, and their warring beliefs. How much longer can Ebe, not yet seven, keep her innocence before it's too late for her?

Seven days later, Rameses was still in a quandary. He could not just let Re-mose's strange god dictate to him. He summoned his magicians, carrying Ebe in his arms and Helima trailing behind him as Re-mose came to the royal chambers. 

"Well, Brother, have you decided?" Re-mose asked, and Ebe let out a whimper.

"Uncle...p-please, change it back," she sobbed. Re-mose looked at Ebe a little more kindly. 

"Your Baba and Mama have been very bad, Ebe," Re-mose said gravely, "and unless they promise to free my people, my god will not stop punishing them. You understand that, do you not, Ebe? When you do bad things you are punished, yes?"

Ebe nodded uncertainly. "B-but there was b-blood and...and Uncle Re-mose, please..."

"Let me see if my magicians can do what your god can do, Re-mose," Rameses said, giving Re-mose a 'frighten my daughter any more and you will regret it' look. He rocked Ebe gently, and ordered a bucket brought. It was filled with blood, as no water would flow, and at a word, Re-mose changed it back to water. Ebe snuggled into Rameses' arms, watching as the magicians, too, spoke words that changed it back to blood.

"You see, Re-mose," Rameses said, "this is just a magician's trick. Your god is no more powerful than mine. Begone from my presence. And let my daughter have her bath in peace, if you know what is good for you."

"As to your gods, Brother, we shall see," Re-mose said quietly. "But the water shall be restored...for now." He bowed and departed from Rameses' presence.

Rameses gave Ebe her bath himself. It was a relief to see clean water; though he shuddered as the caked blood he washed out of Ebe's hair and off her skin reddened it again. But the water had clearly not become blood once more, so Rameses was thankful to his gods for that. As he scrubbed Ebe with sweet-smelling soaps and anointed her hair with olive oil, he felt Helima behind him. Turning, he gave her a weary smile. Pharaohs weren't meant to do such common things as bathe their own children, especially girl-children. Queens were not usually expected to do it either. But as Helima smiled down on him with eyes as gold as the Eye of Ra, he basked in her warmth and approval. Lifting Ebe from the bath, he wrapped her in clean linen and dried her. "There now, my little flower. Safe with Baba."

 

*

 

The next morning, Ebe splashed about in the cool water of the Nile under the careful watch of her nursemaid Tawar. Uncle Re-mose had come again, and Rameses had sent his daughter off to play. Ebe knew that the god Hapi watched over the Nile, and supposed he must have felt poorly. Gods could feel poorly, Ebe knew, because Baba was a god, the child of Ra, and he had felt unwell before. "I am sorry you felt so poorly, Hapi," she told the water, sure Hapi would hear her. "I am ever so glad to know you are feeling much better. It is good to have the water back."   
Then she saw Baba come down from the palace with Uncle Re-mose. Startled, she scampered from the water and hid in the crowds. She couldn't hear Baba or Uncle Re-mose from her vantage point, but they were talking together.

She felt Tawar clasp her hand. "I am here, Tawar," she promised. "I am not afraid of Hapi, or Baba, or Uncle Re-mose."

"Your Baba says you must not call Re-mose 'uncle' any more, little Ebe," Tawar reminded her. Ebe sighed. She knew that. Baba had told her so. But she did not see why. He was her parents' elder brother, and had been gone for ever so long, and she only now had him back.

"Yes, Tawar," she nevertheless agreed. One did not argue with a god, after all.

She wanted to watch what Uncle Re-mose was doing, nonetheless, because he was so interesting. Even if she should not call him uncle. "Lift me up, Tawar!" The little princess squealed in delight as Tawar swung Ebe up into her arms to see above the other children. Re-mose had just touched the water with his stick.

Ebe frowned. What was Uncle Re-mose doing? Was he bothering Hapi? Maybe he was making sure Hapi was better, Ebe decided. She squealed in delight as a green frog leapt from the Nile and hopped straight toward them. "Tawar! Tawar! See, it is Heqet!" The frog-goddess was one of her favorites, and Ebe knew when she bore her own children, Heqet would watch over her. Scrambling down from Tawar's arms, she picked up the little frog. "You can come home with me, Heqet."

As she looked around, little Heqets were going to all the children! Ebe was ever so pleased. Now everyone could have Heqet with them and not just her. “Heqet likes all of us, Tawar!”  
“So I see, little Ebe,” Tawar said. Soft, wrinkled fingers stroked Ebe’s cheek as Tawar held her. “It is kind of the goddess to show you children such favour.” But she still looked very troubled, and Ebe didn’t know why.

"It is nice of Heqet," Ebe agreed happily, and her frog seemed to agree. She carried her little Heqet back toward the palace, but half-way through the gardens, Heqet hopped out of her hands. Ebe began to cry bitterly. "Heqet left, Tawar!"

"Perhaps you will find Heqet later," Tawar suggested cautiously, for as they entered the palace, she heard soft croaks here and there. She wasn't sure whether they came from outside or inside, but Ebe seemed cheered by the sounds. The disk of Horus sailed high overhead, and it was time for Ebe's mid-day rest. Tawar began readying Ebe for bed. She pulled out fresh linen sheets to cover Ebe's mat...and when she shook them out...

"Heqet!" Ebe squealed happily, cuddling the small frog. "You came back!" Tawar wasn't entirely sure, but if it kept her princess happy, she was happy. Ebe settled down to sleep on her mat, swathed in fine linen sheets...with a green frog nestled by her head.

And all throughout the land, the children of Heqet began to fill Egypt with their presence. Re-mose's god had not taken Rameses' refusal well, it seemed. The land was under siege. Frogs were everywhere, driving the Egyptians to distraction. Even Ebe was worried about the number of Heqets coming to live with them, after a time, and expressed her worry to her Baba.

Rameses had to concede. For now.


	3. For Dust You Are...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rameses soon has more to worry about than frogs, though the frogs are a pressing problem. As he dithers back and forth on his decision to let Re-mose leave with the Hebrews, Ebe and her half-brother Thutmose are caught up right in the middle of the next disaster.

"Baba!" Ebe ran to Rameses, still wrapped in her white linen sheet. Rameses stepped around a pile of frogs.

"Yes, my little flower," Rameses said wearily, forcing a smile for his child's sake.

"Baba, all the little Heqets are poorly."

Rameses sighed. "I know," he said. "I have told Re-mose that he may take his people with him, if he will ask his god to stop this." Ebe considered this, frowning.

"Baba? Un...I mean, Re-mose's god is the one making Heqet poorly? He made Hapi poorly before?"

Rameses nodded. "It would seem so, yes, little flower."

"But that's not fair!" Ebe wailed. "Re-mose's god is horrid!"

"M-hmm." Rameses picked up Ebe, rocking her as the servants around them swept up piles of dying and dead frogs.

Ebe wrapped her arms around Rameses' neck. "Baba, don't let him go. His god is mean. Why should he go away again and worship his mean, horrid god when he could stay here with our gods who never did any mean thing to anyone? They weren't even mean to Re-mose and he's *hurting* them."

Rameses rocked his child as she cried. Why, indeed, Rameses thought, frowning. Why should he let his foster-brother leave? Re-mose hadn't done anything worthy of his respect. All Re-mose had done was anger the gods, and upset Ebe.

He had *told* Re-mose never to upset Ebe again. Or else.

"You there. Girl." Rameses snapped his fingers at a little girl about Ebe's age, who served in his kitchen. She nearly dropped the tray she was carrying, but just managed to set it on Rameses' low table before sinking into a deep obeisance.

"Gracious Majesty," she began, but he cut her off.

"I am your god."

"N-no, most gracious Majesty, with respect. My god is the god of Moses, for my people are his people. We are to go today to worship Him, as your most gracious Majesty has said..."

"What is your name, girl?"

"Sara, Majesty," she whispered.

"Sara. Tell Re-mose that I have changed my mind. His god dares to attack mine? I will not permit it. His people shall be severely punished for his lack of respect. Go."  
Sara fled, and Ebe sucked on her lip. She wasn't sure she wanted Re-mose's people to be punished. But he had said that his god was punishing her gods because Baba and Mama had been bad. So it was all right for Baba to punish Re-mose's people because his god had been bad, surely.

*

“And so Re-mose brought his people back, and Sara’s not going to leave, and…” 

Thutmose grimaced as Ebe chattered on. She was his big sister, and she wasn’t a bad sort, for a girl. Of course, Thutmose was used to girls, since they mostly lived in the harem, and that was where he slept. But as he and Ebe rolled in the dust together, throwing mud-balls from the banks of the Nile, Ebe was chattering on too fast for him to keep up. 

He was going to be a scribe, some day. Like his namesake, Thoth, the God of the Moon. Thoth was just appearing now, his ibis’ bill curved through the sky, gleaming silver. Ra had descended on his lower journey through the depths. But it was still warm, and the children were not tired. 

Well, Thutmose was tired of Ebe’s chatter. But that wasn’t the same thing as being tired, tired. Nut stretched over them, her pale blue gown of the day-time having darkened to deep blue sprinkled with stars. He knew all about Nut, the sky. She was the wife of Geb, the earth. They had long been separated. But as Thutmose thought about Nut and Geb, Ebe barreled into him and knocked him to the ground. “Thutmose! Re-mose is out there!” She pointed to the opposite shore. Immediately Tawar and Nephthys, Thutmose’s mother, were at their sides. The women scooped the children up…but it was too late.

Geb must be, Ebe reflected, feeling very poorly indeed. The dust of the ground was beginning to move. It wasn't all that unpleasant the second it began, just a bit of a tickle. But then...

The dust, or what had been dust, was still clinging to her and Thutmose. Then it moved to Nephthys and Tawar. The women began to scream, and the children cried, even Thutmose and Ebe, who were normally so brave. How could they not? A thousand little tickly things had begun biting them until the blood came. Ebe sobbed in Tawar's arms, crying apologies. Thutmose did not apologise - boys never apologised to women - but even he kicked and howled as the blood flowed forth and their keepers ran for the harem.

As they ran, some of the dust flew up - and kept flying. They were little specks on wings. Flying dust, Ebe thought through a dim haze. What had Re-mose done? A great commotion came up from the people, and Tawar threw her shawl over her head to keep out the flying insects. The winged dust and the biting dust - Geb was very poorly indeed, and it was all Re-mose's fault. His god must have poisoned his mind.

Nephthys closed the harem against the dust, hustling the children into the bathing room. She and Tawar stripped them down and plunged Ebe and Thutmose into the water, scrubbing them. The women had joined them, of course, but Thutmose did not care. His Mama and Ebe's nurse were concubines, and belonged there. He belonged there, at least until he was bigger, and Ebe belonged as much as he did. Bathing all together was no trouble. When they had all bathed, the women anointed themselves and the children with oils to ward off the flying and biting dust.

That night, Ebe slept curled up with Thutmose. Bast, the harem cat, slept at the feet of the prince and princess. She did not care to go outside, and so had not been covered with the biting midges and lice. Bast watched over the children all through the night, purring them a lullaby while Tawar and Nephthys kept fearful vigil. Who knew what terrors the morning might bring?


	4. ...And To Dust Ye Shall Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ebe and her family continue to have to deal with the plagues El is sending on Egypt. Rameses tries bargaining with Re-mose...but he never intended to keep his promises. Unfortunately for him and Egypt, El knew that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dialogue between Rameses and Re-mose is taken almost verbatim from Pharaoh and Moses' conversations in Exodus. The inclusion of the children and their POVs is, of course, put in by me. Also, I've realized I forgot to include Aaron. But it doesn't look like he was saying anything at this point anyway, so hopefully no one's too mad.

The next morning, Rameses went down to the Nile to meet with Re-mose. He noticed to his annoyance that while the cloud of midges swarmed round the Hebrew leader, he never seemed to be touched.  
"I will ask you again, Rameses. Let my people go forth to worship El, as we wish to do. Let my people go, and this plague will cease."  
Rameses' magicians turned to him. "This is the finger of El," they whispered, for they had tried to bring forth lice and could not. He glowered at them. Traitors they were, all of them. Blasphemers. Fools. Remember to execute them when you are done with Re-mose, he told himself idly.  
"El has spoken unto me, Rameses. If you do not let His people go, He will send swarms of flies to cover the land. All the land where the Egyptians dwell will swarm with flies, but the people of El shall not be touched by them."  
Rameses decided that he did not care. His magicians were fools, his brother was deluded, these lice and midges were horrid enough already. Even if this El could manage to send flies over the land, surely it could not be much worse than it already was.  
"Let this El, your god, do as he pleases, for I am a god and I shall do as I please," Rameses grumbled. His nerve almost failed him for the first time when he heard Re-mose intone in a voice not like his own:  
"So be it."

*

Ebe woke to the feel of more bites and something crawling over her. She sat up abruptly, eyes wide and terrified. She couldn't breathe! She couldn't see...Beside her, Thutmose was letting out soft whimpers. Tawar and Nephthys soon had hold of them, brushing off the insects that covered them and tying cloths over the children's noses, mouths and eyes. Ebe could see now, through the fine linen, though not much more than shapes and shadows in the light. She could breathe, too, and felt better for it. The scent of camphor filled the air as the women burned the wood to drive away the flies. 

The smoke set everyone to coughing, but at least their other discomforts were lessened. Bast, for her part, killed as many flies as she possibly could.  
"My dear ones." The next thing Ebe knew, her Baba was speaking behind her. All the women bowed low to the ground, and Ebe sobbed as Rameses picked her up. "Baba, everything hurts. It all hurts so much..." She cried, not knowing what was happening. "Where is Khepri, Baba? Why is Khepri not here?" The scarab god should have kept his children in check, Ebe thought unhappily. Thutmose clutched the golden scarab pendant that hung around his neck. He did not cry, but only because Baba was watching. Inside, he wanted very much to cry. But princes of Egypt must not cry, not where Baba could see.

"Khepri shall come soon, my little ibis." Rameses tugged lightly on Thutmose's braid. "He shall come soon, and everything shall be all right again. You will see." 

"Yes, Baba," Thutmose said quietly. Baba knew everything because he was a god, so he did not lie and he knew what he was talking about. "Is Re-mose keeping Khepri from coming?"

"He and his god El are," Rameses acknowledged quietly.

"Why?"

Ebe stared at her little brother, as best she could with her covered eyes. Was he questioning Baba? Even Mama did not question Baba without permission. But Rameses merely patted Thutmose's head.

"El told Re-mose to ask me to let his people leave."

"Maybe if they do not go very far, Baba," Thutmose suggested, "that would be fair. If they leave a little ways and come back soon."  
Now Thutmose was giving Baba suggestions? Ebe wasn't sure what to think of that. Rameses, however, seemed...amused. Amused, and pleased.

"That is a good idea, my little ibis. Suppose we go and tell Re-mose now?" In point of fact, Rameses had already decided to go speak to Re-mose, but the fact that Thutmose suggested it was somewhat amusing.

"Oh yes, Baba," Thutmose said eagerly.

*

Ebe and Thutmose followed Rameses from the harem, carried by Tawar and Nephthys. They walked in the direction of Goshen, where the Hebrews dwelt, and Ebe was incredulous to see that the flies were simply...not there. In fact, every time they encountered a Hebrew slave on the way, the flies seemed to be keeping well away from the slave, as though they had a bubble around them. "Baba?"

"Apparently, El decided that only we would be bothered by the children of Khepri," was Rameses' weary, dry response. Ebe thought El was rather unfair.  
"Because El thinks that you and Auntie were bad, Baba?" Thutmose asked. He called the queen "Auntie", since she was not his mother. Of course she was his aunt, too, as well as Ebe's - Rameses and Helima shared a father, though not a mother. 

"El seems to think so," Rameses said cautiously. "Stay here, children." He walked the last bit to the riverbank alone.

"Hail, Re-mose, prophet of El."

Re-mose raised an eyebrow. "Such courtesies from you, brother. What do you want?"

What do you think I want? Rameses shoved down the automatic, sardonic response, and said smoothly, "You and your people may worship El within the land, if he will only take these insects from us."  
"It is not meet that we should do so," Re-mose replied. "We shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to El, and would they not stone us for it?"

The abomi-what? Ebe thought, listening. Thutmose looked smug, as though he knew exactly what Re-mose meant. That figures. Scholars, Ebe thought sullenly.

"We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice as El commands us," Re-mose was saying. Rameses seemed to be considering that intently.

"I will let you go into the wilderness to sacrifice to El, your god. But you must not go very far," Rameses said. "Ask your god, El, to remove this plague from us."

"I will ask El to take the flies and insects away, and He will do so to-morrow, I am sure; but never deal in deceit with me again, Rameses," Re-mose warned the Pharaoh.

Rameses took his children and concubines back to the harem, where Ebe and Thutmose lay quietly in their beds all that day - Ebe in the upper room, and Thutmose, carefully watched by Nephthys, in the lower. He was the heir, and so his bed was in the lower rooms as a mark of favour. Ebe shared his bed, sometimes, but that day she lay upstairs, under Tawar's watchful eye. Four-year-old Heru-ur climbed onto Ebe's mat and lay beside her. He was Nephthys' second son, and Ebe was fond of him, though she did not spend as much time with him as with Thutmose.

"Little falcon," she said, in the same way Baba did, and Heru-ur giggled. "You sound like Baba."

"I know," Ebe said softly. "Baba and Thutmose and me went down to the river." 

Heru-ur pouted. "Baba didn't take me."  
"Perhaps he did not want you to see Re-mose," Ebe suggested. Heru-ur scowled. 

"Maybe I did not want to see him either."

"Well then, it is a good thing Baba did not take you, little falcon."

Heru-ur had to agree there was sense in that.  
"What did Re-mose say?" Heru-ur asked after a long silence.

"He said that he was going to ask El to take the flies away, and Baba said he would let Re-mose take his people to go worship El. But they will not go very far," she assured Heru-ur, who looked relieved by that. If the slaves went lots and lots far away, who would take care of them?

*

The next morning, a wind came, blowing the clouds of flies away. Ebe, Thutmose and Heru-ur were in Suhad's room in the harem when it happened. Suhad was fifteen, her Baba's youngest concubine, and she was nursing Akhom, singing softly to him of the wisdom and greatness of Hathor, the cow-goddess who allowed her milk to flow. When Akhom had had his fill, she rocked him to sleep. "Ah, little weary one, perhaps I should have named you Ako," she jested. Akhom meant 'eagle', but Ako meant 'tired', and so the baby was. Suhad was glad of the respite. She was especially glad of the flies being gone. "Praise be to Hathor, who has watched over me and seen me in my misery," she said, and Ebe climbed up on the bed with the older girl. "They are all gone now, Suhad."

"I pray they will not come back."  
"Re-mose told Baba they would go," Ebe said confidently. Suhad smiled as she looked out the window. The skies were clear, the children were playing in dust undisturbed by lice or gnats or flies. There was splashing in the waters of the Nile. But then a great wailing arose, a lamentation that chilled Suhad and the children to the bone. Even Akhom woke and began to cry. Suhad's curtain was thrown aside from the doorway, and Nephthys rushed in, Rameses' other concubines behind her. Thutmose and Heru-ur ran to their mother, and she knelt, hugging them close.

"What is it?" Ebe whispered, eyes wide.

"The livestock," was Nephthys' grim reply. "The livestock are dead."


	5. Ashes to Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The livestock of the Egyptians is struck down, and El begins to weaken Rameses' resolve...

"The livestock are dead?" Ebe repeated. She bit her lip and bolted outside. It was true. Baba's herds, and flocks, and ever so many camels, were dead in the fields. The livestock belonging to her Baba's courtiers and nobles, and the traders and farmers - all throughout Egypt, all had died. Ebe ran round the corner, where her own little white heifer calf, Mehturt, was tied near the harem's wall. Mehturt had collapsed against the wall, her eyes open and sightless. The scarabs were coming for her already.

Across the land, the Egyptians suffered. With the death of the livestock, Rameses knew his people would be hard-pressed to continue on. Only in Goshen, the land of Re-mose’s people, were the livestock spared. He was breaking, Rameses realised. He was ready to go to Re-mose, and give him anything he asked. All the livestock, including the holy kine of Hathor, had been struck with pestilence and killed. This El was a powerful god indeed, and Re-mose had his favour.

He was on his way to speak to Re-mose when his trusted steward, his youngest half-brother, bowed before him.

“Great Rameses, Most High Majesty, may the gods your brethren bless you forever.”

“I am not seeing it so, Akhmose.” Rameses stepped around Akhmose, but his Steward blocked him again.

“Re-mose has done you ill, Most High Rameses, my great and valiant brother. His god is not of us, his god, this El, wishes to exterminate us. His god has struck this day against Hathor, queen and mother, she whose breasts feed the land and our people.”

“I know what Re-mose and his El have done, Akhmose. I am aware of this,” Rameses said wearily, brushing the sweat from his brow. “I was there. I saw it. I heard it.”

“Then, Most High—“

“Rameses, Akhmose.”

“Rameses? Brother?” Akhmose repeated softly, looking at Rameses in concern. The youngest son of their father’s seventh concubine, Akhmose was eight years younger than Rameses – only twelve years older than Rameses’ daughter Ebe. At eighteen, he had only just been appointed Steward, and worshipped Rameses in all ways. To have the Pharaoh wish him to use his name only – what in Ra’s name was Rameses saying?

“I will give Re-mose what he wants,” Rameses said tiredly. Akhmose stared in horror.

“You cannot, Rameses,” Akhmose said sternly. “With all respect, exalted Brother, you are the lord of Egypt, the son of the gods. You cannot let this El dictate to you, no matter how powerful he seems to be. For our people, for our family, Brother, you must stand firm.”

Rameses nodded. _Isis grant me the strength to heal the land._


	6. Boils and Sores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plague of boils breaks out in the wake of the livestock's death. In the palace and harem, Rameses and his family, especially his children, must contend with the fact their goddess Isis seems to have abandoned them.

By the next day, Rameses and his family knew it was true – El had protected the livestock of His people from dying. Yet, he could not in good conscience permit Re-mose’s people from leaving. It would make him look weak. Surely Re-mose understood that. Besides, the Hebrew slaves were needed to do the work. Everyone knew _that._

So he sent to Re-mose with his answer. “No. I will not let your people go to worship El.”

Re-mose sent no word back, but a twinge of fear pulled at Rameses’ heart, a feeling of foreboding, and he steeled himself for what might come.

Re-mose never came.

What did come was a wind, a wind bringing a fine dust that settled over the people, and setting the bites from the gnats and flies to burning. The skin of the Egyptians welled up, their sores expanding and growing red and painful. They cried out to Isis for healing.

In the harem, Pharaoh’s children cried. Ebe stayed near Thutmose and Heru-ur. Everything hurt too much to bear.

“Methurt is dead,” Ebe sobbed. “Methurt is _dead.”_ She shook with pain and fright. “Methurt is _dead_ and I _hurt_ and _why?”_

Thutmose put his swollen, sore arms around his older sister as they cried together. Being a prince didn’t seem to matter anymore, he thought. “Isis will fix it, Ebe,” the little boy whispered bravely. He clutched the _ankh_ Nephthys had given him, though it hurt to hold, and Ebe touched it too, hoping and praying through her tears.

 Around them were the concubines of Pharaoh, clutching their crying babes. Akhom, not even two weeks old, was clasped to Suhad’s swollen breast as he wailed with pain.

There was nothing Suhad could do to comfort him, and she cried also, weeping with fear and agony. “Isis, Great Mother, hear your children!” she cried. There was no response, and Suhad, with the rest, began to despair.

 

Within the Palace, Rameses and Helima fought the same despair. Rameses’ magicians could no longer come before him, unclean as they were made by this plague, and Rameses did not want them to see him like this anyway. Only Helima, with her quiet strength, could tend her husband-brother in his weakness. “Ah…my Helima…my own goddess,” Rameses gasped as she rubbed balm on his skin. “I love you.”

“And I you, my lord,” she murmured. “Let not my sisters and our children be forgotten.”

The ointment was sent to the harem, also, that Rameses’ family might be soothed. But relief did not last long. The pain was numbed, but the boils continued to grow.

 

In every Egyptian house, over the next few days, pain and terror reigned along with the boils, bursting into open sores.

As the infection poured forth, the lamentations began anew, and as the effort was made to heal the sickness, Pharaoh closed his eyes and bowed his head toward Re-mose’s land.

In the land of Goshen, peace covered the homes of El’s people, and Rameses conceded defeat.

“Bring Re-mose to me.”


	7. Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seventh plague - hail, rain and fire - inundates Egypt. How much more can Ebe and her family take??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moses (Re-mose's) speech is quoted from Exodus 9:13-19, NASB. The chapter title is a Robert Frost poem:
> 
> Some say the world will end in fire,  
> Some say in ice.  
> From what I’ve tasted of desire  
> I hold with those who favor fire.  
> But if it had to perish twice,  
> I think I know enough of hate  
> To say that for destruction ice  
> Is also great  
> And would suffice.

But Rameses had no need to send for Re-mose. Indeed, he was already there. In fact, he had been awaiting his foster-brother on the steps of the palace, staff in hand, when Akhmose came forth to summon him before his master.  
  
"How dare you come to my lord's presence unannounced!" The slender youth tried to sound imposing; as his brother's Steward, should he not be? Yet the weeping sores doubled him over with pain, and he looked a pitiful spectacle indeed.  
  
Re-mose smiled humourlessly at the young man. "El has sent me to Rameses. He is expecting me, is he not?"  
  
"Rameses has sent for you to come," Akhmose whispered, for his throat was swelling too. "Please, stop this...ask El to stop."  
  
"Rameses has caused this by his refusal to respect the one true God, El," Re-mose replied. "But you cannot return to our stiff-necked brother to bear El's message in such a condition." He touched Akhmose's throat, and the Steward gasped for air, stumbling before Re-mose as they entered Rameses' presence.  
  
Rameses had his children and concubines around him; Helima was seated at his side, her eyes fixed on Re-mose for the first time.  
  
"Ah. Good, you will all hear El's message together," Re-mose said quietly. "Hear, O Rameses, lord of Egypt, and your kin; you will all know what will befall if you, Rameses, do not let El's people go."  
  
Rameses pushed himself to his feet, with effort, leaning on his staff slightly more than was usual.  
  
Ebe, Thutmose and Heru-ur clung to each other. What would Re-mose say?

 And this is what Re-mose said: "So speaks El: 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.  
  
 Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.' "  
  
As Re-mose spoke, Helima, Nephthys, Suhad and their children turned pale and trembled with fear. What sort of god was this El, that he could demand and threaten such things? But Rameses drew Hebe and Thutmose into his arms, and glowered through his pain.  
  
"You would make such threats against my people and children? I am the god of Egypt, the son of Ra, brother! You forget your place! I place my trust in Nut, who carries my father in her bosom and protects his people! Your El dares not strike against her, and I will not let your people go."

 Ebe couldn't say, afterward, what the grown-ups had been talking about. Not really. But she understood that Baba had not been happy, and it wasn't nice to make Baba unhappy. The children went with their mothers back to the harem, and Ebe went along with Suhad, slipping her hand into the older girl's. As the boys snuggled quietly together, Ebe curled against Suhad's breast and clung to her. "Re-mose has made Baba angry. I don't understand," she whispered. "Why?"  
  
"I'm sorry, sweet girl," Suhad whispered back. "I don't know why, either. Perhaps Re-mose's El is jealous." She sighed. "Sleep a little, if you can."  
  
"Everything hurts," Ebe wept, and Suhad nodded, soothing Ebe as best she could. She prayed fervently to Nut for protection.

That day was a long one. Hebe drifted in and out of troubled sleep, accepting herbs and potions and soothing broths to ease her pain. She could see little difference, in the inner room, between that day and night. All was pain, and bitter herbs, and tears.  
  
The next morning, shortly after Ra's ship crested the horizon, everything changed.

The roof of the harem was battered, as burning rocks and great chunks of ice rained down. The concubines and children screamed in terror, huddling together. Suhad could not find breath to still Akhom's wailing, but clutched her baby to her, while Ebe hid herself in Nephthys' skirts. Thutmose and Heru-ur clung to their mother, too, but there was little any of them could do. They were too sick to run. Great holes let in torrents of rain, and the women and children were drenched. Rain washed the dirt floor, soaking the mats and the linens.  
  
Ebe could only imagine Baba was getting just as wet. But surely not, for he was a god. He would be safe...wouldn't he? she thought through the haze of pain and cold water that surrounded her. The water was not quite freezing, she thought dimly, and the cool did ease her sores...a little. But having so much water surround her all at once was a shock.

The rain, the hail and the fire continued throughout the day and night. Where was Nut? Why did she not answer their prayers? Ebe watched listlessly as harem servants struggled to drain the water out as quickly as it rose. They could not risk the children becoming ill.  
  
The next morning, though, it just...stopped. Ebe didn't understand it. Perhaps it had been a fever-dream?  
  
Rameses came to collect his wives and children, and brought them outside. If the floods had been a dream, Ebe thought hazily, this was a true nightmare. For as far as they could see, there was death and destruction and ruin. The bodies of those who had not remained inside during the storm lay everywhere. The barley and flax fields were utterly destroyed. And yet...and yet.  
  
When they looked to the land of Goshen, the land of Re-mose, they could see it remained untouched, green, and beautiful.  
  
Ebe clung tightly to her mother.  
  
Why? Why had Nut abandoned them?


End file.
